Trail connection for gun carriages



Jan. 3, 1928.

H. C. ZIMMERMAN TRAIL CONNECTION FOR GUN GARRIAGES Filed Aug. 25, 1924 HHHHHIIHHII Evin/52% g-nvenfoz I-IarrH E- ZiTTLTFLEY'TI'I. an.

- 10 a In. guns of small caliber which are espe- 13 so that in the event of breakage the plate so riage, the coupling member being retained Any suitable means for locking the trail Fig. 2 is aview of the trail connection engagement of the head 21 with the upper Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

, units sr'rss FFICE.

HARRY C, ZIMMERMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TRAIL CONNECTION F 012. GUN CARRIAGES.

Application filed August 25, 1924. Serial No. 734,058.

(GRANTED UNDER THE raovrsrous or THE ACT or MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L, 625.

The invention described herein may be Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view of the used by the Government, or any of its officers stopper. or employees in prosecution of work for the Referring to the drawings by numerals Government, or by any other person in the of reference:

i United States, without payment to me of According to the invention the opposite any royalty thereon, in accordance withthe trails 10 of a gun carriage are each supact of March. 3, 1883. ported from the axle 11 by means of a con- 7 The subject of this invention is a trail necting channel plate 12. The trail is prefconnection for gun carriages. erablysecured to the plate by means of bolts cially designed to accompany infantry or may be readily replaced without the necesfor use in mountainous regions the various sity of providing a new trail member. The elements of the gun must be susceptible of sides of the channel plate 12 are formed rapid dismantling and assembling to permit with oifset extensions 1 1l& in the form of 15 ofextreme mobility and maximum usefulconcentric annular ears, the upper car 15 65 ness. i having a cut out portion 16 and the lower A gun of this character to be capable of car 17 formed with a conical aperture 18. strategic employment must be divisible into The axle 11 consists of an I beam formed convenient loads'sothat the bearer may adwith cylindrical housings 19 at either end,

Vance without exposing himself unduly or the housing having orifices of the same di 7 conveying to'hostile observers the character ameter as; the upper and lower annular ears and nature of his task. of the connecting plates and registering Theobject ofthe present invention is to therewith when the trail is mounted to the provide demountable trails for a' gun caraxle.

by the axle to prevent loss and capable of tothe axle may be employed, a preferred locking or releasing a trail by the simple form consisting of a bolt 20 permanently operation of being lifted. mounted in the housing and movable to lock To these and other ends, my invention and unlock theconnecting plate 12 to the n. consists in the construction, arrangement, axle. v so and combination of elements, described here- The bolt is formed with a head 21 and a inafter and pointed out in the claims formshank 22 on the extremity of which is ing a part of this specification. threaded and pinned a frustro-conical stop- A practical embodiment of my invention per 23.' A coil spring 24 surrounding the as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, shank is confined between the stopper 23 5 in which, and the under face of an annular partition Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a 25 formed in the housing, the partition pregun carriage showing the position of the venting comp t withdraw 0f the l trail when attached to the axle; Inward movement of 'thebolt is limited by partly in side elevation and partly in secface of the partition 25. tion; The head is formed with opposite recesses Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 26 to provide'an oblong portion held at right '33 of Fig. 2; v angles to the axle by a pin 27 guided in a -5 Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the trail connectlongitudinal slot 28 inthe partition 25 so ing plate; A 1 that when the bolt is raised in attaching the Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation-thereof; trail the upper ear of the plate 12 may be f Fig; 6 is a bottom view; slid into position over the housing 19, the 7 Figs. '7 and 8 are detailed views of the oblong portion of the bolt beingof less Width bolt; and

'''' than the ut-o P n of h eat 49? portion of the bolt head 21 closely fitting in V the upper, ear--15 andthe stopper 2 3ente r.-

;e'1fi d of the bolt, atoiled springsurroundingi releasing the bolt the spring 24: will force the g bolt downwardly, the uninterrupted circular ing thelower ear 17: The bolt is'proviled with an eye piece 29. 'a-ndalanyard 30 so that in couplingthe trail the bolt ma be conveniently lifted unthe upper ear 15', said portion being held parallel to the'openin'g in the upper ear by the pin-27so that the trail may be readily moved to therearuntilclearof the axle.

'In'assembl-ingtlie bolt to the'hou'singthe H bolt With its pin 27.is.inserted from the top, the. spring is inserted from" the bottom, 7 and the stopperyfixed to the lower end of the shank.

'WVhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated} and described such combination andlarrangement of elements as constitute the preferred einbodi-mentofumy invention, I it'is" nevertheless desired" to emphasize the fact" thatinterpretation *of the invention sliouldfonly be conclusive-When made in the lightof the subjoined ;-clainis.

1 claim} I 1 V 1. A trail connection for gun cariiagesineluding a trail having forwardly extending eonoentric annular ears; the upper ear formed with a cut out portion, the lower ear formed With a conieal aperture, an axle for s'u'ppor-tingthe trail, said axle PlOVlClGClwith a vertical housing, an aperturedpartition in said'h'ousing' ha ving a longitudinal Islet, a'bo'ltmounted inthe,housing, said bolt formecl with anenlarged cylindrical head having M an oblong j lower port on to permit attachment "of-the trail to theaxle, f

a frustro conieal stopper securedto the other the bolt and} eoiifined 'between the I stopper and the partition and a pinqnojectingfrom lllie bolt and disposed in t1ie's1oteM-1ie partitionto maintain the'oblongportion of the 'bolt lieadf'paral'lelito the trail...-

2. A trail connection for gun carriages-inelu ding a trail having :lor v-ardlyextending concentric -a'n'nular ea the upper ear lorniec'l with arut out 7 portion; an axle l'or Qsupporting the trail; said axleform'ed with housing, a bolt mounted in the housifn bolt formed with an enlarged cylindrical a housing I an apei ture'd partition Tins'aid' head'havi-ng an oblong lower portion to perinit attachment of the trail to the axle; a

stopperfseeuredto the other endiof the bolt,

and aeoilf springsecured to the boltfand ;c onfinedbetweenthe stopper and the, par- M .v I V V p 7 A'traall conneetion-for gun CaIEHLgQS lIP tition.

' 3. A traihconnection'fonguncarriages, in- -v eluding a trail havingforWa-rdlv extending annular ears; the upperejair formed with a having an; oblong;loiver portion :to permit:v g attachment of the hall to the axle-and meansgsitio'np. til the stopper 23 clears the vlower ring 17 V and the oblong'portion of the head enters "eluding an axle, a trail having forwardly extending aperturedgmembers, theuppenof said members 'l aving acutout portion and] adaptedto support the trail fromfthe V axle 1 pose cylindrical head having an oblong-.- 190 members capable of being slid on the axle} either directioiipa trail having forwiardly' axle :loi 'loeking the trail: to tlie a xlje-Wl en i 5;, said normally projecting above and 39. 0%: -sthe' mounted in he axle, m an for m ing' the' a'ltrail having, forwjvardb extendi ig member's 1 trail, said axle formed with a housing, an apertured partition insaid housingia bolts slidably mounted in tliie housing, said b0lti-'*=' 1 formed. \Vltl1- an .enlarged cylindrical head for normally holdingythe bolt in looking po 4,; A1 trail connection for gun carriages, inv a locking bolt'earried bythe axle andmount-- ed" 01 limitedmovement in either direction, i said bolt-when in' unlotking position adapted to" permit the "a'pertu-red membersto be -,im'-- doi'i opposite sides of the axle 5. A trail'connection for guncarriages lIl-l eluding an axle,fa sli-dable boltperman'enfly mounted inthe' axle5 said bolt formed with,

tio'ii, 1 means for limiting movement of the v, bolt-win -either direotlon, a'jtrail llzLVlngiOFv we rdly extending supporting members sai'd when ,the 'bolt-iszlifted and adaptedfto gbe removab'lyengaged by the bolt when said bolt is released to. normalpositi on. f

6; A-trail connection for gunearriages ineluding'an axle,' a slidable bolt permanently jmounted in tllBYlXlQySEllCl boltlormedwith].

a'cyl indrical head liaving an oblong portion; meansior limiting movement ofthehbolt in i extending supporting members, said xn'ieme "bers capable'ofbeing slid'on the axlebwhen the bolt is liftedancl incapable of removal; when the boltjis. in norinal' position W 7'; A trail' connection 'for gun carriagesl i "embodying an raxleya trail ineluding-ineans l for engaging the upp'eiiandlowerfsidesof the av-lenneaus. permanently 'carriedby the be in: one position of adjustment, said-1n(- 'ar 1$' removable toanotherpositioniozf adjustment i to enable the trai=l;,to be slidi on the, axle-in I tliepath of said means.

8. A trail connect-on loi gun car-riagoSq embodying an axlega trail including}means for engaging' the :u'pperrand lower sides of said axle, locking ineanspar iiedby tliezaxles. and cooperatingwith-the trail -fo'rflloc'k'ing the trail to the axleand mounted)forv liniitedfi 1 movement in either direction, said meansaxle, and adapted when move Cl to unlocking position; to permit'the trail 1 to; be slid ongthe.

axle.

eluding an axle, a slfidablefbolt perman" i1tlv movement'of thevbolt in either directiongaandcng'ageable by the bolt, said members capable of being slid on ihe axle when the bolt is lifted and incapable of removal when the bolt is in normal position.

10. A trail connection for guns including an axle, a trail adapted to be supported by the axle, and locking means engageable with the trail permanently mounted in the axle and movable Vertically therein for locking said trail to the axle, said means adapted When lifted to enable the trail to be attached or removed from the axle.

HARRY C. ZIMMERMAN. 

